VILLA chief executive Richard FitzGerald fixed his sights on turning Villa Park into one of the great stadiums in British football following today's unveiling of the club's new crest.

VILLA chief executive Richard FitzGerald fixed his sights on turning Villa Park into one of the great stadiums in British football following today's unveiling of the club's new crest.

The badge will appear throughout the stadium and will be lit up at night to be visible for miles from the M6 motorway.

"Villa Park is one of the great grounds but we need to invest," said FitzGerald today. "We can't stand still. There is no timetable but it will be part of the future.

"We are competing with the new Wembley and stadiums like The Emirates. We're the only Midlands venue for the 2012 Olympics. Also, if the United Kingdom's bid for the World Cup is successful, we'll be one of the venues selected.

"As part of that, it's our desire to redevelop the North Stand and Villa Village. That's a really important last piece of the jigsaw to re-define where Aston Villa's going to go."

Villa are also determined to woo back the lost fans.

An average gate of 36,000 may be 2,000 up on last year but is still 3,000 from their optimum level and 6,500 below capacity.

FitzGerald said: "We want to fill Villa Park. We want to get around 39,000 fans and a winning team will help.

"There's very few successful teams that don't have full stadiums. How are we going to do that?

"We're going to make sure the season ticket prices are reasonable and make sure we enhance the matchday experience. We've got to work hard at filling the stadium and keeping fans and stakeholders happy."

Martin O'Neill will be handed significant funds to reshape the team in the summer.

"We're going to invest in players. That will continue while Martin O'Neill feels it is necessary," said FitzGerald. "We want to compete at the highest level and eventually that includes the Champions League.

"The new training ground, when it opens on Sunday, will be one of the best in world football."